Latest update January 6th, 2025 4:00 AM
Attack at West Demerara Hospital…Ministry advocating for legal action
….as measures streamlined to safeguard staffers
Legal action against those who recently assaulted staff and destroyed some of the property of the West Demerara Regional Hospital is being advocated for by Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence.
Minister Volda Lawrence addressing worried staffers of the West Demerara Hospital yesterday.
Lawrence made this disclosure yesterday during a meeting with doctors and nurses of the Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) hospital at her Brickdam, Georgetown office.
“This matter will not just slide, I want the staff to feel safe and secure…their safety comes first,” Lawrence assured the team during the meeting with the distraught West Demerara Hospital employees.
Dr. Shonnette Jack, who worked on the evening of the assault, told Lawrence that verbal and physical attacks of the staff by drunken and impatient patients and their families are routine on weekends and holidays at the institution.
On Sunday night’s physical attacks, Dr. Jack said, “there were 10 persons fighting in the Emergency Room for about 25 minutes.” She said during the melee, chairs were being hurled in the direction of the staff.
Police ignored repeated calls for help, Dr. Jack emphasized.
Forced to visit the station on their own, Dr. Jack said police refused to take her statement and later “tried to intimidate me to drop the story.”
“I am totally fed up and discouraged. It doesn’t feel good working anymore,” admitted young Dr. Pooran Outar, who said he has “countless experiences” being attacked by irate patients and their disgruntled families.
“On Saturday night I was verbally attacked by drunkards,” Dr. Pooran recalled.
The assaults on the staff are not confined to weekends or to the Emergency Room, Medical Superintendent, Dr. Bibi Jabar, and Regional Health Officer [RHO], Dr. Naail Uthman, confirmed.
Dr. Uthman said due to similar past frays, Region Three authorities agreed to build a police outpost in the hospital’s compound, but it has never been occupied by ranks.
In August 2016, Region Three Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Denis Jaikaran, in a letter to ‘D’ Divisional Commander, Mr. Leslie James, revealed that following a meeting with police ranks, it was revealed that the stationing of ranks at an outpost at the hospital was not possible, but that regular police patrols would be conducted and contact with security guards on duty would be introduced.
“From then to now, a number of unreported incidents took place at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. Of recent, on the night of 4th October there was a break and enter and larceny situation at the home of the [then] Regional Health Officer, Dr. Shawn Bancroft. In view of these incidents, I now recommend that we engage the management of the West Demerara Regional Hospital in an effort to find the rewarding solutions,” said Jaikaran in his missive which was carbon copied to then Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton; Commissioner of Police [ag], Mr David Ramnarine, and senior staffers of the hospital, including its Medical Superintendent, Administrator, Matron and Senior Health Visitor.
“Those ‘soused’ in alcohol and others demanding immediate attention attack the staff anytime and anywhere, but reserve their fiercest ire for doctors and nurses of a particular ethnic group,” Dr. Tracey Duncan-Clarke said.
Meanwhile, Minister Lawrence and a team will visit the hospital today to hold further discussions with the worried staff.
Assistant Regional Executive Officer [AREO], Ms. Jennifer Ferreira-Douglas, will also meet with the firm providing security for the hospital and the ‘D’ Division Commander, to raise the issue about police non-response to calls for help from staff of the hospital.
Also expected to be raised are staff concerns that police refused to take any statement from the staff forced to visit the station after police did not heed their calls.
“I am concerned because I want us to have the best health care system possible,” Lawrence told the staff when this particular issue was raised.
As an interim measure, the hospital staffers have requested proper locks on all the hospital doors and a designated safe-place in the event that any future attacks become extremely life-threatening.
Following today’s visit by Minister Lawrence, it is expected that security will be boosted for the hospital.
Despite the latest drunken fracas, Lawrence yesterday encouraged the hospital staff not to be put off by the altercation but to continue viewing their profession “as a privilege to serve humanity.”
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